The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-06-09

as soft as that OF any Oh the mihorc"
girls"
For nineteen months, beginning with
June, 1868, Charleston suffered the
most prolonged and tremendous bonn
bardment ever inflicted upon any
American city. All the lower part OF
the town was swept by day and night
by Gilmore's t,Iree hundred
pound shells and forsaken by its
population. The roar OF the artillery
fire upon Fort Sumter and the other
defensive works was we'll nigh lnces-
SAINT, while the battles upon Morris
Island for the possession OF Fort Wag-
ner and Battery Gregg, the frequent
skirmishes between the accommodating
boat parties, the engagements OF the
fleets and such torpedo expeditions
as that which blew up the Federal gun.
boat Housatonic left few uneventful
days in the history OF the long and
bloody siege. The hospitals OF the
city overnowed with wounded men,
the care OF whom was largely entrust-
ed to an organization OF volunteer
nurses, OF which Miss Pickens was a
member.
TO her charge fell, in the Autumn OF
1864. Lieutenant Andre de Rochelle,
OF the lst South Carolina Regiment
of Artillery, command at which
Beauregard said that it had
not it's superior in any army
in the world. 1t had held
Fort Sumter during the terrific fire
that crumbled the great stone walls
into fragments and piece OF bursting
shell had struck de Rochelle down
with what was seemingly a mortal
wound. He was removed to hospi-
tai under the direction OF Surgeon
Jeffery, OF the Confederate service, and
for many days in which he lay there
nearer death than conscious life Miss
Pickens was his devoted attendant.
There had been no previous acquaint-
anceship between the beautiful nurse
and her gallant patient, and she had
merely gone to his bedside in the first
instance as she might have gone to
that OF any other soldier; but he owed
his life to her unhagging care, and
when he had passed the point OF dan
ger gratitude was mingled with q
warmer sentiment. The by-play OF
love ran on unchecked in the fierce
theatre OF war, and they became
pledged to marry. They were OF equal
social rank, Lieutenant de Rochelle
having a lineage that reached the
Huguenot settlement OF the state.
The marriage was appointed for the
Christmas eve OF 1864, in the gloom
that then overshadowed the beleagued
town. 1t was sombre holiday sea-
son for the people driven from their
shattered homes by the steady rain OF
shot and shell, nearly exhausted OF
the commonest necessaries OF life and
shrouded in mourningfo lost members
OF every household.
The Pickens family mansion was
within the line OF fire from the FEEDER
al batteries. and months previously
had been abandoned. Miss Pickens
had been received into the resi-
dence OF her relative, General Rhett,
which was supposed to be beyond the
range OF their guns, and had so far es-
capped being hit by any OF the mon
strous proiectiles that flew into the
city. On Christmas eve the wedding
party were assembled in the parlor
OF the Rhett mansion, one OF
the large and handsome houses so
common on all the river frontage OF
old Charleston. Divested OF its costly
and elaborate decorations that mad
gone to swell this or that Confederate
fund, the great room looked barren,
chilly and forbidding. Candles were
almost an unattainable luxury then
the city gas works had long been
wrecked by exploding shells-and
some homemade device OF illumina-
ton only lit up the little space occu'
pied by the lover and bride and clergy
man. Save Tor the brilliant uniform
of the soldier and the white robes OF
the priest OF the Episcopal Church,
there seemed no color OF warmth In
in the apartment. Finery appropri-
ate to the wedding ceremonies OF dis
tineuished people was not to be
found in the Confederacy, and while
the dozen OF guests were men
and women who had known the
opulent and luxurious life oil good
society in the ante-bellum day
OF Charleston they were now
reduced to homespuns and coarse
cottons. With the harsh discordance
OF the bombardment filling their ears,
and with the knowledge that the
bridegroom must at once quit his
wife's side for service with his com
mand "A sense of apprehension and sor'
. row brooded over the assemblage
The most serene and sef-possessed oil
all present, the newspaper reports
said, was Miss Pickens, whose stately
beauty was heightened by contrast
with the surroundings.